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60 million containers of pet food recalled

Junkman

Extra Super Moderator
Eukanuba, Iams and store brands tied to kidney failure, deaths

A major manufacturer of dog and cat food sold under Wal-Mart, Safeway, Kroger and other store brands recalled 60 million containers of wet pet food Friday after reports of kidney failure and deaths.

An unknown number of cats and dogs suffered kidney failure and about 10 died after eating the affected pet food, Menu Foods said in announcing the North American recall. Product testing has not revealed a link explaining the reported cases of illness and death, the company said.

“At this juncture, we’re not 100 percent sure what’s happened,” said Paul Henderson, the company’s president and chief executive officer. However, the recalled products were made using wheat gluten purchased from a new supplier, since dropped for another source, spokeswoman Sarah Tuite said. Wheat gluten is a source of protein.


The recall covers the company’s “cuts and gravy” style food, which consists of chunks of meat in gravy, sold in cans and small foil pouches between Dec. 3 and March 6. The pet food was sold by stores operated by the Kroger Company, Safeway Inc., Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and PetSmart Inc., among others, Henderson said.

Menu Foods did not immediately provide a full list of brand names and lot numbers covered by the recall, saying they would be posted on its Web site — www.menufoods.com/recall — early Saturday. Consumers with questions can call (866) 463-6738.

The company said it manufacturers for 17 of the top 20 North American retailers. It is also a contract manufacturer for the top branded pet food companies, including Procter & Gamble Co.

Guide Pet nutrition


Dogs Cats
• Weight
• Weight

• Food tips
• Food tips



Like humans, cats and dogs need to eat right to stay healthy. Follow this guide to help keep your pet's weight under control.



Source: National Research Council • Print this


P&G announced Friday the recall of specific 3 oz., 5.5 oz., 6 oz. and 13.2 oz. canned and 3 oz. and 5.3 oz. foil pouch cat and dog wet food products made by Menu Foods but sold under the Iams and Eukanuba brands. The recalled products bear the code dates of 6339 through 7073 followed by the plant code 4197, P&G said.

Menu Foods’ three U.S. and one Canadian factory produce more than 1 billion containers of wet pet food a year. The recall covers pet food made at company plants in Emporia, Kan., and Pennsauken, N.J., Henderson said.

Henderson said the company received an undisclosed number of owner complaints of vomiting and kidney failure in dogs and cats after they had been fed its products. It has tested its products but not found a cause for the sickness.

“To date, the tests have not indicated any problems with the product,” Henderson said.

The company alerted the Food and Drug Administration, which already has inspectors in one of the two plants, Henderson said. The FDA was working to nail down brand names covered by the recall, agency spokesman Mike Herndon said.

Menu Foods is majority owned by the Menu Foods Income Fund, based in Ontario, Canada.

Henderson said the recall would cost the company the Canadian equivalent of $26 million to $34 million.
 

dzalphakilo

Banned
Thank you for the information, it should be helpful.

Both manufacturers listed (really one company) have done animal testing in the past that have led to deaths of both cats and dogs.

Yet another reason not to buy their product per this recall.
 
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Junkman

Extra Super Moderator
Eukanuba Veterinary Diet kept my Greyhound alive for 6 additional years after she was diagnosised to be in renal failure. She died just shy of 20 years old. I attribute her longevity to the Eukanuba products that she ate after I got her.
 

bestinbreed

New member
New post in the news section of bestinbreed.org. FDA is seeking comments in regards to animal feed production. This request for comments was opened June 2006, and will close Dec 2008. The FDA Docket Number is 2003N-0312.

Jason B Bour
http://bestinbreed.org
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
The investigators had been focusing on the wrong thing. They were looking for wheat gluten contamination.

ap_small.gif

Rat poison found in tainted pet food


By MARK JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer 24 minutes ago

Tests turned up rat poison in the pet food suspected of causing kidney failure in dogs and cats across the country and killing at least 16, state officials and scientists announced Friday.

The toxin was identified as aminopterin, which is used to kill rats in some countries, state Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker said.

Aminopterin is not registered for killing rodents in the United States, though it is used as a cancer drug, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

State officials did not say how they believe Aminopterin got into the now-recalled pet food, though they said no criminal investigations had been launched.

The Food and Drug Administration has said the investigation was focusing on wheat gluten in the pet food. Wheat gluten itself would not cause kidney failure, but the common ingredient could have been contaminated, the FDA said.


.

HERE IS AN UPDATE:


.


UPDATE 1-
Toxin in killer pet food is used in rat poison
Fri Mar 23, 2007 2:20 PM ET

(Adds details from press conference with New York State authorities, changes dateline, previous NEW YORK)
By Holly McKenna

ALBANY, NY, March 23 (Reuters) - An ingredient used in rat poison has been found in samples of Menu Foods cat food, New York State officials said on Friday. Food manufactured by the company has been blamed for the deaths of at least 14 animals.

Aminopterin, a folic acid derivative used in rat poison, was discovered in samples obtained from the Ontario-based company, New York State Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker said at a press conference. Menu Foods has recalled millions of pounds of its cuts-and-gravy wet pet food.

Use of aminopterin is forbidden in the United States because it can cause cancer and birth defects in humans as well as kidney failure in dogs and cats, the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets said.

 

ghautz

Bronze Member
Site Supporter
News this morning said the poisoned wheat came from China. Where else was that wheat used? Did any get into human food?
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Here is a link to the links of all the recalled CAT FOOD: (brand & code information)
http://www.menufoods.com/recall/product_cat.html



Here is a link to the links of all the recalled DOG FOOD: (brand & code information)
http://www.menufoods.com/recall/product_dog.html


Now here is something very interesting, this is the press release, see if you can find the interesting statement (see the image below if you don't see something that stinks in the release):
Menu Foods Income Fund Announces Precautionary Dog and Cat Food Recall
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(CCNMatthews - March 16, 2007) -

NOT FOR RELEASE OVER US NEWSWIRE SERVICES

Attention Business/Financial Editors

Menu Foods Income Fund (the "Fund") (TSX:MEW.UN) today announced the precautionary recall of a portion of the dog and cat food it manufactured between December 3, 2006 and March 6, 2007. The recall is limited to "cuts and gravy" style pet food in cans and pouches manufactured at two of the Fund's United States facilities. These products are both manufactured and sold under private-label and are contract-manufactured for some national brands.

Over the past several days, the Fund has received feedback in the United States (none in Canada) raising concerns about pet food manufactured since early December, and its impact on the renal health of the pets consuming the products. Shortly after receipt of the first complaint, the Fund initiated a substantial battery of technical tests, conducted by both internal and external specialists, but has failed to identify any issues with the products in question. The Fund has, however, discovered that timing of the production associated with these complaints, coincides with the introduction of an ingredient from a new supplier. The Fund stopped using this ingredient shortly after this discovery and production since then has been undertaken using ingredients from another source.

At the same time, the Fund's largest customer, for which it manufactures on a contract basis, received a small number of consumer complaints and has initiated its own recall. Furthermore, for the time being, the customer has put future orders for cuts and gravy products on hold. This customer's cuts and gravy purchases in 2006 represented approximately 11% of the Fund's annual revenue.

"We take these complaints very seriously and, while we are still looking for a specific cause, we are acting to err on the side of caution" said Paul K. Henderson, President and CEO, Menu Foods. "We will do whatever is necessary to ensure that our products maintain the very highest quality standards."

While the number of complaints has been relatively small, Menu is taking this proactive step out of an abundance of caution, because the health and well-being of pets is paramount to the Fund.

In addition to changing suppliers, for production after March 6, the Fund has increased testing of all raw materials and finished goods. It is also working closely with regulatory authorities and its customers to learn more and will take whatever additional actions are appropriate. The Fund estimates that based on currently available information, this recall could cost between $30 million and $40 million, which will be financed from a combination of internally generated cash flow and bank credit facilities. Furthermore, the Fund is aggressively producing product, utilizing a different supplier for the ingredient in question, to replenish customers as quickly as possible.

In order to determine whether cat and dog food in their possession is subject to recall, consumers should refer to the list of brand names ("listed products") at www.menufoods.com/recall. This will be available by 6 a.m. Saturday March 17, 2007. Products not identified on the website can continue to be used.

Menu is the leading North American private-label/contract manufacturer of wet pet food products sold by supermarket retailers, mass merchandisers, pet specialty retailers and other retail and wholesale outlets. In 2006, the Fund produced more than one billion containers.
And phone number: Recall Information1-866-895-2708
 

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XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq

Master of Distraction
Staff member
SUPER Site Supporter
Apparently, one of the Menu Foods facilities is in Emporia, Kansas.

It's amazing that it's cheaper (not necessarily better) to import wheat from China back into the heart of wheat growing land in the US.

What a mess of a world we have created.
 
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